Tonight's Poet Corner: The Day After
The Day After by Belinda Roddie The noise has dissipated, the leftovers packed up and then served on plain plates, the presents worn, eaten, or saved for later. Back home, we still let our tree light up in the dim living room space. We devour candies and cookies and sweets, drink spiced tea until our stomachs hurt, as we readjust to life after a month of anticipation. Now that it's over, we can hold each other tighter - speak less, but kiss more, thank our family and friends for reminding us of why each night is worth counting stars for. And as the echoes of the last carol subside, we are left with fragments of celebration, of solace and of peace. But collected, they create a whole image, and we frame it with our fingers, which are just beginning to grow warm.